(Clearwisdom.net) I went through a lot in my work and cultivation in the past year and would like to share some of my experiences with everyone.
1. Memorizing Zhuan Falun
I once tried memorizing Zhuan Falun, but stopped after only ten pages. I began the process again last July, after my company temporarily suspended my high-level manager's position. I think this happened because I failed to cultivate myself well and did poorly in Fa-study, so my boss decided to have another person take over my responsibilities for the time being. Facing the possibility of eventually being removed from my management position, all kinds of thoughts popped up in my mind. At that time my young sister, who had been memorizing Zhuan Falun, told me I should do the same. I figured that Master was using her to give me a hint, so I made up my mind to memorize the book.
From the very beginning, I made an effort to firmly reject thoughts to give up halfway through. As I went along, I was able to realize some Fa principles, which in turn helped me identify some of my attachments. It took me more than five months to finish memorizing the whole book for the first time. Even though my company demoted me in January of this year, I wasn't that upset. Memorizing the Fa truly helped me get through the most difficult time in my cultivation.
As I repeated the memorization process, I picked up speed. I was actually able to finish seven talks in just three months the third time I memorized Zhuan Falun. I also repeatedly studied Master's other lectures. My righteous thoughts strengthened, and I was able to see more Fa principles.
One day, when I was memorizing the following paragraph,
"They've taken advantage of people's attachments." "Aren't you trying to heal people?--Okay!" "So they hold treatment classes specifically to teach you healing techniques, like that qi-needle stuff, that light therapy stuff, that discharging and supplementing stuff, that acupressure stuff, that so-called grabbing method--they've got lots of fancy names for that stuff." (Zhuan Falun)
I suddenly realized that we'd be no different from those phony Qigong masters if we dealt with cultivation issues with a non-practitioners' mindset.
Three months after I began memorizing Zhuan Falun I participated in "The Sixth Internet Experience Sharing Conference for Practitioners in China." My submission was published, which I knew was a result of my Fa memorization and encouragement from Master.
2. Looking Within to Cultivate Xinxing
When I lost my top management job early this year, my salary took a free-fall. My wife, who was usually mild-mannered, had done the "three withdrawals" (withdrawing from the Chinese Communist Party and/ or its affiliated organizations, the Communist Youth League and the Young Pioneers) and suddenly became a different person. She picked on me all the time and felt I was responsible for our income being one-sixth of what it was. For the first time, she requested that I stop cultivation. I realized that it was partially due to my previous insufficient truth-clarification to her. At the same time I looked within to identify my root problems.
Fa study helped me realize my fundamental attachment to being self-centered. Everything was about me. I was arrogant and could not tolerate other people's criticism. Master had arranged numerous opportunities for me to remove this attachment, but I pushed them away. This attachment also manifested in my truth-clarification activities. When I discussed the facts about Falun Gong, I still harbored selfish thoughts. The old forces took advantage of my loopholes and created problems for me, one after another.
As I kept looking within, I found more attachments. I still had a showoff and competitive mentality. My attachments to lust and desire were also still bad. My wife's criticism was indeed an opportunity for me to recognize and remove these attachments.
Once, when I was practicing the exercises, thought karma popped out of nowhere. Then a verse Master said in Exercise 5, "Reinforcing Supernatural Powers," suddenly flashed in my mind: "But your main consciousness must be aware that you are doing the exercise." The thought karma disappeared right away and I calmed down. I realized the seriousness of improving one's xinxing.
3. Resisting the Persecution and Clarifying the Facts
Nothing occurs without a reason, as Master teaches us. But since we are cultivating during the Fa-rectification period, we also need to resist the persecution and assist Master in the Fa-rectification.
With help from practitioners and through constant Fa study, I was able to see through the nature of the persecution when it had just started. I realized that following the old forces' arrangements was acknowledging its persecution and allowing the perpetrators to commit crimes. Clarifying the facts about Falun Dafa was the best way to resist the persecution. Therefore, I worked with other practitioners and mailed out informational materials or sent emails to everyone on the management team at my company. I even wrote a letter to the top two officers at the company headquarters, to recommend the Shen Yun Performing Arts Show.
I took every opportunity to pass out DVDs of the Shen Yun Performing Arts Show. One of my friends once took a copy of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party while visiting Europe. He told me after viewing the Shen Yun DVD I gave him, "The show was unbelievably good!" He agreed to do the "three withdrawals" and said he would persuade his family to do the same. A finance person at my company who had done the "three withdrawals" watched the Shen Yun DVD and then asked to read Zhuan Falun.
Another time I ran into a couple who had lived in America for more than 20 years and came back to China to explore business opportunities. When I asked if they had watched the Shen Yun show before, the wife said she just heard it was very good. I told them, "This show was performed in more than 100 cities around the world." The husband immediately expressed interest, and the wife took a copy of the DVD. I advised them to make an effort to watch the show in person when they returned to the United States and they agreed.
A former colleague of mine invited me to attend his child's wedding. He knew about the persecution I had endured, but I never clarified the facts about Falun Dafa to him. I thought, I must give him the Shen Yun DVD. On the wedding day, when I walked into the hotel lobby to greet my friend, he said excitedly, "I am so happy to see you come," as if he had been waiting for me for a long time. I congratulated him and gave him the DVD, "This is for the newlywed couple. I hope they have a happy and peaceful life." He looked at the cover carefully and put it in his bag.
I also distributed Shen Yun DVDs when I took the taxi. Most drivers were thankful for the DVDs. Some wanted to give me money, while others asked for other kinds of informational materials. After withdrawing from the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) Youth League, a driver told me his daughter had just joined the CCP. I immediately asked him to tell her to quit.
4. Cooperating With Each Other Well
Master said in "Fa Teaching at the Epoch Times Meeting,"
"Whatever the case, Dafa disciples now must cooperate together well. The situation that you are faced with requires that you cooperate well, for only by cooperating well can you fulfill your pledges well and make this newspaper more powerful."
Over the years we have developed a complete operation to make, deliver and distribute truth-clarification materials. As one of the main coordinators, I paid special attention to safety issues after I was removed from my management position. As a result, the operation of the materials production site did not suffer negative consequences.
We are now able to offer more of a variety of informational materials. To cooperate with other practitioners, we often mail out informational materials to perpetrators whose names and contact information have been exposed on the Minghui website (the Chinese version of Clearwisdom).
Everyone assumes a unique role in our truth-clarification efforts. For instance, "Practitioner A" is in charge of purchasing consumables and making materials, while "B" is always there to offer quick help and good advice. Elderly "C" delivers materials every day, rain or shine. "D" often goes to Beijing on business trips and takes materials there to pass to anyone he meets.
When I was still holding the management position, I shouldered all of the expenses incurred in making truth-clarification materials, from equipment rentals to consumables. I also provided financial support to another practitioner so that she could set up her own materials production site.
Once I read about a local practitioner being seized while distributing informational materials about Falun Dafa. Even though I didn't know him personally, I immediately sent out an email urging everyone to send righteous thoughts at set times, to disintegrate the evil. I also exposed the perpetrators' contact information on Minghui. The phone calls from practitioners, both inside and outside of China, helped greatly. In the meantime we mailed out truth-clarification letters to the persecutors and persisted in sending righteous thoughts until the practitioner was released.
Not long ago we joined practitioners in Australia in sending righteous thoughts to support the lawsuit against Jiang Zemin. From time to time we send righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil factors controlling local labor camps, prisons, and brainwashing centers.
My mother has been using paper money with truth-clarification words on them for many years. She is also persistent in sending righteous thoughts at the top of every hour during the day.
5. Experiencing the Wonders of Dafa
Master has offered me encouragement and hints on numerous occasions during the past ten years of my cultivation.
A Falun was clearly visible three times in the photos I took. For safety reasons I need to take out the battery from my cell phone from time to time. When the battery is put back in, however, one normally needs to re-do the initial settings. I had a thought for the phone to work without having to do it, and soon it really did happen, where after I put the battery back in, I didn't need to reset everything. Of course, when I lack righteous thoughts, I still have to reset everything.
I often get hints during Fa study, or in my dreams. Once, when I opened up the book Zhuan Falun the first words I saw were "Hey Jack, great job!" I knew that was encouragement from Master. Another day, I saw clearly in my dream a golden dragon flying high in the sky. I have no doubt that Master has removed countless dangers for me during the truth-clarification materials delivery process. No words can express my gratitude toward Master.
I know I still have many attachments to remove. I will strive to be more diligent and cooperate better with fellow practitioners to offer more sentient beings salvation.
